Study Program Structure and characteristics of second year (M2)

The second year of the Master (M2), mostly international, is devoted to courses and research activity in advanced aspects of Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling, corresponding to a total of 60 ECTS credits.

In M2, the performance of the students is continuously assessed by the local tutor through the weekly tutorial sessions and the evaluation of the solutions to the questions/problems carried out by the teachers of the Intensive Course.
 

In addition the reports the students write at the end of the 10 weeks of home work following the Intensive Course are also evaluated by the International Committee of the Master. During the period devoted to the research activity associated with the Master Thesis, each student presents at least two seminars or progress reports of his research activity, one at the beginning of the research period and one at the moment of completing the period at the host Institution. His ability to organize the material and his oral skills are
taken into account for the final evaluation. A Master Thesis illustrating the research project is produced and defended at the end of the Master at the home university. 

The second year (M2) is divided into two Modules:
 

Module 1 International Intensive Course

Module 1 (24 ECTS credits) associated with a 4-week International Intensive Course and 10 weeks of tutorial related home work. The Intensive Course is mandatory for all students registered in the Master and it is articulated in the following courses:

1.a  Compulsory courses

  - Advanced Electronic Structure and Condensed Matter Theory (Advanced methods in quantum chemistry and its applicability to quasi-degenerate systems: Transition metal-containing systems, excited states, spectroscopy and reactivity in the excited states. Solid-state theory and methods available for the study of solids,
surfaces and their application to heterogeneous catalysis, magnetism, conductivity): 7 ECTS Credits.

  - Molecular and Chemical Dynamics (Theories and methods available for the treatment of kinetic processes and their applicability to the calculation of rate constants): 5 ECTS Credits

  - Advanced Computational Techniques and Computer Modelling and Simulation (“state of the art” methods
for the design and profitable use of multiprocessor and GRID calculations, computational techniques based on molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics, and their application to the design of molecules with specific properties of interest in pharmacology, petrochemistry, etc.): 7 ECTS Credits.

1.b Elegible Courses

    Students will choose one course (5 ECTS Credits) among the following options that will be devoted to applications of the techniques and methodologies presented in the first part. These applications will be chosen appropriately to illustrate the wide-scale potential of chemical theory and modelling in many areas of current interest, including several that have high priority in the European Framework Program VI.

  - NanoSciences and Nanotechnology highlights

  - Modelling of biological systems

  - Materials by design

  - Reactivity and Catalysis

  - Excited states: Spectroscopy, Dynamics and Reactivity

  - Atmosphere and Space 

  - Molecular Virtual Reality

The Intensive Course will be normally organized in a different country every year on a rotating basis. The teachers of the Intensive Course will be specialists from the different countries participating in the Master, although the participation of specialists from third countries is in no way excluded.

More information on the organization of the International Intensive Course can be found in the following link:

http://www.emtccm.org/tccm-em/international-intensive-course

Module 2 Research Activity - Master Thesis

Module 2 (36 ECTS) devoted to research activity associated with a co-tutored work thesis, part of which (a minimum of 18 ECTS) is to be developed abroad, in a laboratory of a Institution of the Consortium. This research work will be presented as the Master Thesis

The supervision of the student's research at the host Institution will be the responsibility of a local Tutor, who will also ensure the necessary coordination with the student's tutor at his home Institution. The student must choose the subject of his research Project among those proposed by the different research teams of the participating Institutions. The subjects proposed cover a wide range of methodology and applications of Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling in Chemistry, Physics, Material Science, Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry.